more knitting

This is the kind of knitting I love. Easy, mindless knitting with yarn that goes perfectly with the needles. This is a baby blanket for a fellow mother in my daughter's class.  Love this blanket.

Can you bring the bread?

"Can you bring the bread?" If ever I am invited anywhere, I always get asked to bring the bread. I make excellent bread if I do say so myself. I also make really good hummus. Hummus with flavor, not the kind of stuff from a plastic tub or the kind with lots of oil and no real taste. I thank Ina Gardner for the hummus recipe. I love her. I also have perfected the olive oil, baslmic vinegar with salt and pepper recipe. It is so yummy you would think you were at Macaroni Grill....I think. Is it Macaroni Grill that gives you that with the bread? Some chain Italian place that would seem super good right now. I think.

Well that was a fun week end

I am trying to get my health in order this year. It is sort of on 'the list' and because of that I have been to the dreaded dentist and to the dreaded oral surgeon. I had my wisdom teeth out on Thursday morning. All FOUR wisdom teeth. I spent the week end in bed dutifully taking my narcotics. It was actually not quite as bad as I had been warned but I really feel like they sent me home too early...as in I have no recollection of the hour plus drive home. None whatsoever. I can only assume they did not ask me anything at the border...

I am glad it is done. Next up - the eye doctor.

yes or no - that is the question

We have been less than pleased with the quality of education in our host country. The oldest goes to boarding school and I am unsure if the middle child has learned anything other than how to sing the national anthem...not our own, but that of our host country.

The youngest would adjust quickly and do fine anywhere. She is the child always with the most stickers on the good behavior chart. She knows what to do and does it. Teachers love her.

The middle child is a different ballgame. He is easily stressed. He spent most of first grade crying that he did not want to go to school. The year has been better but recently he had his first migraine and chronic 'tension' headaches ever since. Since Xmas break he has had a new teacher, who is perky and nice, but has ramped up the homework quite a bit, though he is doing fine with it.

We did go visit a Waldorf school last year, it was lovely but maybe too weird. We also went to visit a Montessori school which was ok, but in a church basement and had a mold feeling going on - which the middle one is allergic to.

Recently we visited another private school with a good science program. The head of the school seemed sane, kind and smart. The building is pretty good for here. The kids spent the day and reportedly liked it and did fine. However, since then the headaches began and they both whine they don't want to go. I should also add that if the youngest stays at the current school she will likely be the only girl in grade 1 next year. Which she would be fine with, she can hold her own, but her sappy mother is thinking 'what about playdates and birthday parties?' I could also add that no one will come over for a playdate this year because one mom doesn't like me and the other is afraid of the guide dog puppy...whatever.

I am starting to think more and more about homeschooling them both next year. Everyone I say that to here says that is a stupid idea and I should put it out of my mind. I should add that I happen to actually be a Montessori elementary teacher with a zillion years of experience preFS. I know I could do a much better job than any school here.

But here lies the question - how do people homeschool in a country with no real support and not loose their minds? I am afraid if I never have a break from the fighty twins I will go insane and my hair will turn white the first week.

I also don't really know the ins and outs of the home school allowance. Like will they pay for a set of racks and tubes? A Montessori division material for those of you who don't speak Montessori.

Something to think about hard I guess.

I might need to add more to the life list...

Today we went skating down the canal. I wish I could say it was magical and lovely but....I went with my children. One who doesn't listen and the other who whines. The ice was also crazy rough, complete with drill holes exposing water. But at least we can check it off our post bucket list and my life list.

When we were finally done we lined up for a local delicacy.

Next up - I have written down the ingredients to make my own pain au chocolat. And I am thinking we should plan a vacation to the Virgin Islands next winter. That would be a two fer - swim in clear water AND learn to snorkel. How clever am I?!

How's the swap going?

As the organizer of the fs swap I have to come clean - I am LATE sending out my box. As in this morning I am going shopping and hope the husband comes home with some boxes. But I told my pal so no one is going to be upset and with pouch it might take a while anyway.

Why am I late? I had a day to shop all planned out. And then the youngest got sick. And then there was the blizzard at the boarding school drama and then it snowed here. So this morning, all kids are off at school and come 10 am I am hitting the shops.

I wonder how everyone else is doing? Have you sent out your box? Have you received your box? Do you have a new FS BFF because of the swap?

what is going on today

This stack of books and the sock knitting is what I have on the agenda for today. And maybe figuring out dinner and supervising homework..

And this little miss has been nursing a bad cough all week. This is her current passion - spool knitting. She is watching 'Little Bear' when I snapped the picture. I wonder where she got the genes to be able to do handwork while watching tv???

more in the series

More in the series called 'you can't make this stuff up' I think part one was the visiting mother who fell down the stairs the day of the ballet recital and part two was running over a bear.

Let's visit part 3 which unfolded over the last 24 hours.

My oldest son attends boarding school in Vermont. It is a lovely albeit slightly hippy dippy sort of place. They were due for a short break on Wednesday. Monday at 2 pm they moved the break up by 28 hours due to the blizzard that was on the way. Ack! So first we deal with Carson Wagonlit. Finally they get his flight changed after much complaining on my part.

This morning I say to the husband, I don't think the kid is coming home today. He tells me I am once again being ridiculous. I email away and make sure his dorm head checks to see that he is awake and out the door at the right time to catch the shuttle. He is.

At nine-ish I check the flight status. The same flight earlier in the day has been canceled. But his looks fine. At noon I check again - CANCELED.

Super. I call the school. After chatting with the woman on the other end of the line and trying not to freak out, she says "So let me get this straight. He has no cell phone. His laptop is fried. And you have no idea if he even has a calling card since he has never called you on the telephone since he started school here." Followed by, "I guess you do not have any friends or family in CT?"

They finally figured out the the shuttle bus company that was to drop him off was having such a hard time driving in the snow that they had no even reached the airport. So back they came and when they reach town he will be farmed out to a local family with kids at the school.

It has been a super fun morning. He is apparently also very mad about the unfolding of events. I can't wait to talk to him on the phone. Of course I can control the weather and USAirways. I am powerful like that. I can also remotely make him not get around to doing his English assignments and make him overuse his computer so much that in 5 months he burns up 1 battery AND a hard drive. I should channel my powers to fixing the mess in the Middle East - then maybe some good can come from it.